POEMS FOR PAULA

THE DET


Alone in the corner,

The Irish music blaring.

Don’t look up, don’t look round,

The I.R.A. are staring.



Have they sussed me ? Shall I leave ?

A long way to the door.

Oh God ! I feel them coming,

Slowly cross the floor.



With shaking hands, I raise my eyes,

They stare into my face.

“ You spying English bastard ! “

My heart begins to race



I think of torture, will I cope ?

A black sack on my head.

Will I scream, as they begin ?

I could be home in bed.



I asked for this detachment,

I shouldn’t really moan.

At it now for six full month,

My mind it dreams of home.



They walk on past, so close to feel.

The wee runs down my leg.

The fear released inside me,

I down my final dreg



At the table right behind me,

Sits back-up Dave, my mate.

It wasn’t me they wanted !

It’s Dave, it’s him, it’s fate !



I want to leave, I want to run,

Escape here whilst I can.

How can I leave him all alone ?

Desert another man ?



My Browning’s in my trousers,

Thirteen rounds in all.

How many could I “ Take out “ ?

Before my final fall ?



“ Save him now ! “ a voice screams out,

The voice inside my head.

Why risk myself as well ?

When Dave’s as good as dead.



I turn away, avert my eyes,

My luck is in this night.

I catch a glimpse of begging eyes,

He’s got no chance to fight.



They march him past me, held so tight,

Dave’s legs have gone to jelly.

They drag him out the back door,

A lane, so dark and smelly.



The crowd pours out, I’m sucked along,

In to the pouring rain.

Dave is down upon his knees,

His face so full of pain.



He looks at me, a silent prayer,

“ You’d help me if you could “

The sack goes down upon his head,

I will ! I can’t ! I should !



I stand there weeping silent tears,

So helpless do I feel.

Why die along beside you ?

Don’t ask me as you kneel !



The pistol rests against Dave’s head

The gunman looks right at me

Does he know I’m one of them ?

“ I’m not ! I’m Irish ! See ?



I slide my hand inside my belt,

The metal of the gun feels cold.

But I know that I won’t use it,

To die before I’m old !



The crowd all give “ The Thumbs-down “,

The signal to shoot.

My thumb it goes down with them,

I’m staring at my boot



The killer laughs right at me,

His finger on the trigger.

I’m sure he knows, I’m one of them,

He shoots ! A silent snigger.



Graffiti grows upon the wall,

Mingled with the rain.

A closer look, not chalk, not paint,

Just bits of poor Dave’s brain



I walk away down cobbled lane,

The killer shouts a warning !

“ Don’t come back upon our turf, !

You’d die before the morning ! “



They’ve let me go, tonight I live,

With the I.R.A., no messing.

To live with what I did to Dave,

“ Go home and learn a lesson ! “



I often think about that night,

And if I could’ve saved him.

Would Dave forgive me if he knew ?

I’ve since risked life and limb



Was I a coward long ago ?

Or was I only Human ?

To save myself, at his demise,

I bet he’s bloody fuming !



A time long ago, over the water

 


 

TUMBLEDOWN


The windswept graves of long lost friends,

Lie miles across the seas.

There but for the grace of God,

Why them ? And why not me.


The battle on Mount Tumbledown,

a barren waste of land.

A tribute to my soldier friend,

My comrades final stand.


The sky was black, yet all ablaze,

With flares, and guns, and bombs.

My friend was by my side that night,

He’s fallen, now he’s gone.


I stop to search the sodden marsh,

The mud is everywhere.

I find him scattered in a hole,

His brains amongst his hair.


I held him in my arms that night,

With him when he cried.

“ Kill me now “ he whispered,

And then he died.


Now buried on a hillside,

Eight thousand mile away.

Apart from friends and family,

Forever he will stay.


I see him still, the way he was,

Before the rounds hit home.

A funny, healthy, cheerful lad,

No brains, no blood, no bone.


I see him in my dreams,

I see him in the mist.

I see him in The Naafi,

Legless, and half pissed


I seldom name my friend,

That died by me that night.

His name is not important,

He fought for peace and right.


Just another soldier,

Lost on Tumbledown that night.

So long ago, why should I care ?

Why lie awake at night ?


I shouldn’t get these nightmares,

Of comrades, dead and dying.

I shouldn’t wake up screaming,

And yes ! I wake up crying.


“ The Falklands “ is a lonely place,

On earth, there is no worse.

We fought for Queen and Country,

It left me with this curse.


Until I die, I won’t forget,

The screams I heard that night.

They’ll live on in my dreams,

A funny word “ Goodnight “


 

THE MINEFIELD SECRET


The Argies laid the minefields

They didn’t tell us where

I’m standing in the middle

My only feeling, fear !



I wandered in whilst on patrol

A Recce in the dark

The Rupert said “ An easy task,

A long walk in the park “



I feel so lonely standing here

Afraid to move my feet

I’ve made it safely this far

Sinking in the peat



“ DON’T MOVE ! “ shouts my mate Chalky

Standing out of range

A bloody stupid thing to say

I do find people strange



With nothing else to do

My memory slips back years

To months of endless training

Each day would end in tears



Instructors preaching lessons

Of minefields in the night

Of claymore mines, and nasty things

That made you freeze in fright



Don’t walk across a minefield

Your steps will double number

Just run like Hell with giant strides

Less chance of blown asunder



Option two’s your compass

The needle holding steady

Wave it out in front of you

Whilst crawling on your belly



Slowly, slowly, side to side

The needle shouldn’t wander

Until it meets a buried mass

Of metal further yonder



Skirt around it inch by inch

Eyes fixed on the compass

If it moves, a mine’s ahead

Don’t want to cause a rumpus



Nearly there, two yards to go

A sign appears before me

“This Field’s Been Cleared By Engineers ! “

It’s true ! I’m safe, you see !



I run across to Chalky

He tells me I’m so brave

He hasn’t seen the sign yet

The truth I think I’ll save



But Chalky didn’t make it

Days later he was gone

For years I’ve kept my secret

Alone, and just for one



So now’s the time to “ Fess up ! “

What happened back that night

I was no hero Soldier

Just paralysed with fright



 

N.I.T.A.T



 Down the rope

Helicopter swaying

Out into space

I’m silently praying



With full kit on

Feeling rather heavy

Rather be in the Naafi

Having a bevy



My gloves are burning

Sliding down the rope

Hit the ground

Not to fast I hope



Land with a thud

Breath knocked out

Barrel in the mud

One up the spout



Hit the ground running

Trip over wire

Breath comes fast

Lungs on fire



Snap VCP

Ten cars searched

‘ Exfil ! ‘ ‘ Exfil ! ‘

Air gunner perched



Chopper hovers

Feet off the ground

Scramble on board

No voices, no sound



The roar of the engines

Rotars awash

Smell of the Av-fuel

Bodies a’ squash



Five clicks flying

Lose height again

Another location

Five tired men



Bandit Country

In and out

‘ Fast as you can lads ! ‘

The Corporal does shout



All day long

Sun or rain

Just when you finish

You do it again



Why do we join ?

Why do we do it ?

‘ The Danger ‘, ‘ The Rush ‘

The adrenalin through it



Friends think us mad

To risk all our lives

While they’re sitting like Bees

In one giant hive



They never will fathom

They never will know

‘ Together with comrades ‘

We’ll all ‘ Boldly go ‘





The men that trained us
Tom Mcgreevy

FootNote: NITAT is (Northern Ireland Training and Advisory Team)
VCP is (Vehicle Check Point)



 

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